Manchester United open talks with Mauricio Pochettino

Manchester United have opened talks with Mauricio Pochettino about potentially replacing Michael Carrick, BBC Sport reported on 11 November. Carrick’s future is due to be discussed by United executives at a meeting in Monaco that day, with the club in the Premier League relegation zone.

The reports describe a possible change of manager, not a completed appointment. BBC Sport said Pochettino wants the job once Carrick’s position is clarified, but is waiting for United to make an official approach out of respect for the US Soccer Federation. The Press Association, in a report carried by dpa international, also said United were preparing to turn to Pochettino if Carrick is dismissed.

• United executives are due to consider Carrick’s future in Monaco on 11 November.
• BBC Sport says Pochettino is interested in the role and expected to accept if formally offered.
• Pochettino’s US contract runs through the 2030 World Cup, and a move would involve compensation, the Press Association reported.

Why Manchester United are considering a change

United were 18th after winning one of their first 10 Premier League games and none since August. BBC Sport described the position as the club’s lowest at this stage of a top-flight season since 1986–87, when United were 20th. The results provide the immediate context for the discussions about Carrick, who is 45.

Pochettino’s US contract and the timing

Pochettino has led the United States since September 2024. The Press Association reported that he signed an extension three months ago running through the 2030 World Cup and that US Soccer would be due compensation if he moved. BBC Sport put the release cost at $10 million (£7.5 million). The US team had a two-legged Concacaf Nations League quarter-final against Haiti over the following week; BBC Sport said a departure during that camp could make the timing awkward.

What it means

Pochettino, 54, is reported by BBC Sport to view the United job as a serious opportunity and to be expected to accept if formally offered. He has not yet been reported as receiving or accepting an offer. The Argentine has managed Southampton, Tottenham, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea; at Tottenham, where he spent five years from 2014, his team reached the Champions League final. He took the US to the last 16 at the 2026 World Cup, which the country co-hosted.

United have previously spoken to Pochettino about the managerial position after Jose Mourinho was dismissed in 2018, before appointing Erik ten Hag in 2022, and after Ten Hag’s dismissal in 2024, BBC Sport reported. The current discussions therefore follow three earlier approaches to the role, but the immediate sequence depends on the decision about Carrick and whether United make a formal offer.